Twenty-one teams have registered to compete at the 2010 Melges 32 Gold Cup Regatta, hosted by the Lauderdale Yacht Club, December 3-5.Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. - On December 3-5, the International Melges 32 Class Association (IM32CA) will proudly usher in yet another classic Gold Cup Regatta, hosted by the Lauderdale Yacht Club (LYC). The red carpet has been rolled out for this first-class event welcoming every owner and competitor, promising the best in Melges 32 competition, racing conditions and camaraderie.

Twenty-one teams have traveled from all across North America, Great Britain and Italy to compete. Among those poised for victory are defending Gold Cup champion Rod Jabin (Annapolis, Md.) onRamrod with 2009 Melges 24 World Champion Chris Larson serving as tactician. One of Jabin's top adversaries, 2010 Winter Series and European Champion Joe Woods (Torquay, UK) with tactician, Olympic Gold Medallist Paul Goodison on Red is also in attendance. "The pressure is on." said a very relaxed and smiling Jabin prior to Wednesday afternoon practice. "Our team is a little different this year, but we're looking forward to some great racing, so it should be fun." Jabin debuted in the Melges 32 class at the '09 event beating Woods by a single point.

Other teams expected to excel and do well include Kip Meadows (Rocky Mount, N.C.) and tactician, multiple match racing champion Andy Horton on roXanne; the young and energetic 2010 U.S. National Champion Ryan DeVos (Macatawa Bay, Mich.) on Volpe pairs up with the extraordinary Ed Baird on tactics; East Coast Champion Alex Jackson (Riverside, Conn.) on Leenabarca will be assisted by Volvo Ocean Racer Rob Greenhalgh's tactical expertise, and Lanfranco Cirillo (Torri del Benaco, Verona, Italy) on Fantastica employs the incredible talents of the legendary Michelle Paoletti.

The IM32CA would like to welcome fleet newcomers Alexis Michas (New York, N.Y.) with tactician Mark Mendelblatt on VIVA; A Scow-boy Joel Ronning (Excelsior, Minn.) on Catapult with tactician Bill Hardesty and Oscar Strugstad (Bournemouth, Dorsett, UK) will be joined by tactician Andy Beadsworth on Dawn Raid.

"The class is thrilled to be back in Ft. Lauderdale for Gold Cup." commented International Chairman and Class President Jeff Ecklund (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), who will take the helm of STAR. "This is the best fleet of grand prix performance yachts to be a part of right now. Our World Championship in San Francisco produced a record-breaking 32 Melges 32s further proving the health of the class. It’s really awesome to see a fleet as robust as this, and it seems that with almost every event we see new faces."

"We are also quite excited about our Take A Junior Sailing Day program at Gold Cup." continued Ecklund. "Twenty-one lucky youth sailors will get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity on Saturday, December 4 to sail with and against the very best in the sailing world." Ecklund has been a strong supporter and advocate of the Lauderdale Yacht Club Junior Sailing Program, as well as a driving force behind its integration with the Melges 32 Gold Cup Regatta. A complete list of junior sailors and the boats they will sail on will be published shortly.

MEGA MEDIAFriends, family and fans of the Melges 32 will be able to tune-in and enjoy the racing action and developments from a distance, special thanks to Sail 22’s all new Sailing Updates and Sail Groove. They have teamed up to bring as-it-happens coverage from the water as well as after racing sailor interviews. Don't miss it!

MORE MELGES 32 RACING IN 2011The 2010 Gold Cup Regatta is the first of three, major 2011 Winter Series events for the Melges 32 in North America. On January 17-21, the fleet will assemble in Key West, Fla. for Premiere Racing’sKey West Race Week and Miami Grand Prix on March 10-13.